The July Buck Supermoon will glow in an online broadcast from Rome, and you can watch it for free.
Weather permitting, the Virtual Telescope Project will start its livestream Wednesday (July 13) at 4 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), allowing you to watch the third of four supermoons in a row. You can watch at the project’s website (opens in new tab) or here at Space.com.
“We will admire our satellite rising above the skyline of Rome, the Eternal City, hanging above its legendary monuments,” project founder Gianluca Masi wrote in a statement (opens in new tab).
Related: Don’t miss the biggest ‘supermoon’ of the year on July 13
The Buck Moon will be the closest supermoon of 2022. In general, a supermoon is a full moon that is near its closest approach to Earth in its orbit, known as the perigee. (The moon will appear a little bigger and brighter in the sky, although it’s tough to spot the difference with the naked eye.)
While definitions of “supermoon” vary, NASA eclipse watcher Fred Espenak counts July’s full moon as the third of four supermoons in a row. In New York City, you can catch the almost-full set around 4:55 a.m. local time July 13, according to timeanddate.com, and the slightly waning moon will rise again at 9 p.m.
Viewers seeking the full moon in person will enjoy a slightly better view of its craters and mountains with binoculars or a telescope. It’s a good time to look at the supermoon, as the full moon tends to wash out fainter targets in the sky, like galaxies or nebulas.
If you’re hoping to photograph the moon, check out our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. Also read our guide on how to photograph the moon with a camera for some helpful tips to plan out your lunar photo session.
Editor’s Note: If you snap an amazing moon photo and would like to share it with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).
